The present invention relates to a telephone jack apparatus designed for installation on a wall of a building.
In pre-wiring newly constructed buildings, it is usual for a telephone installer to first install a telephone cable throughout the area to each desired outlet before wall board or other equivalent material is applied to the walls. After application of the wall board, the installer must then make a second trip in order to connect the wires of the cable to a jack. A jack is then snapped onto a cover plate which is screwed to a previously installed box or receptacle. Each trip of the telephone installer involves a separate and relatively large service charge. Consequently, the need for two separate trips of a professional installer results in a relatively high installation cost.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,527 issued Aug. 10, 1982 to Harrington et al discloses a telephone jack assembly in which wires of the cable are attached to corresponding terminal posts in a box that has been affixed to the wall framing. The jack itself is mounted on a jack plate that screws to the box. Wires from the jack which fit onto the terminal posts to which the cable wires have been attached are affixed after wall board is installed. A cover plate fits over the jack and is screwed to the jack plate. Thus, in Harrington, the second installation step after wall board installation, still requires wiring of the jack to the terminal posts, mounting of the jack to the jack plate and mounting of the jack plate to the box. Following mounting of the jack plate to the box, the cover plate is installed. It would be desirable to eliminate several of the procedures involved in the second installation step as it is one which is designed to be carried out by an untrained person.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for installation of telephone jacks. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a telephone jack apparatus in which only a simple completion step is required after wall board or the like is applied.